Preparing for lambing:

Before we know it, it will be lambing time. It is good to have your lambing barn cleaned out and no sheep in the area where you plan to house pregnant ewes and drop new born lambs for at least three weeks. This will give time for disease germs to die and less likely hood of these germs spreading to new born lambs.

Health prevention is also good. Enjecting ewes for enterotoxemia C&D before lambing will aid in reducing over-eating problems after lambs are born. Be sure you have restocked your medical supplies and drugs commonly used during lambing time.

It is also good to shear the ewes before they lamb. This gives you a chance to observe their flesh condition going in to lactation. (Thinner ewes should be put on a grain diet earlier than the last six weeks prior to lambing or seperated or both and fed more grain to get some condition back on them). Shearing will also allow you to house more ewes in a given area and ewes will be more likely to lamb in the barn when they go into labor.

It is always a good practice to clip, dip, and strip at lambing time. That is, clip the naval off one to two inches from the body of the new born lamb, dip the naval with 10% idine and strip the teats of the ewe to be sure there is milk and it is flowing properly.

Good luck on your lambing!!